Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

As found on Weight Watchers.

Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 C dried shredded and sweetened coconut
3 oz. semisweet chocolate (approx. 1/2 C)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment.  In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and sugar.  Add vanilla and coconut, and stir to combine.  Drop by level tablespoon onto cookie sheet, about 1" apart, and bake for 15-18 minutes (until tops turn light brown).  Put cookies on rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate over double boiler over low-medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Take each cookie and dip tops in melted chocolate, and return to cold cookie sheet.  Place dipped cookies into freezer until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.  Store cookies in the fridge in an airtight container.

Serving size is one macaroon.  2 points per macaroon.

Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies

As found on Laaloosh.com --a delicious recipe!

Ingredients:
– 2 tbsp light butter, softened (I used Country Crock)
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, dark-variety
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 11 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 servings.

Serving size is 1 cookies
Each serving = 1 Weight Watchers Point

Honey Spice Cookies

This recipe was taken from The Amish Cook's Baking Book.  I was fortunate to be a test baker for this recipe before the book was published.  Any time I make these, I am always asked for the recipe.  Extremely delicious!

Ingredients: 

2 1 /4 cups flour

2 1 /4 teaspoon baking soda

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger

1 /2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 /4 teaspoon cloves

1 cup brown sugar

3 /4 cup unsalted butter (real butter is best)

1 large egg

1 /4 cup honey

Approx. 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

In separate bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, egg and honey.  Add this mixture to dry ingredients, stirring by hand (dough will be stiff).  If time allows, refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.  It makes the dough easier to work with, but if you are in a hurry, you can use the room temperature dough.

Form dough into balls about 1-2” in size.  Roll balls in white sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cracks appear on the top of the cookie.  Allow to sit 1-2 mins on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack.

Jeanette's Cake Mix Cookies

Rich and delicious!  Thanks to my friend Jeanette for this delicious recipe!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 oz) package of yellow cake mix (I would guess that any cake mix flavor would be good)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips, or any other mix-in goodies (oatmeal, peanut butter, toffee bits, etc.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking soda.  Add eggs and oil, then mix until well blended.  Stir in your mix-in items.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Bake for less time if you want doughy cookies, bake for longer time if you want crispy cookies.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Amazing Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sinful.  There is no other description.

Ingredients:

4 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 C. creamy peanut butter

3/4 C. packed brown sugar

1/4 C. granulated white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/3 C. (8 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional: 1/2 C. dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*.  In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, mix the first five ingredients until well combined, scraping sides of bowl during mixing.  Beat in egg.  In a small bowl, combine flour and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet mixture until just mixed.  Fold in chocolate chips, and if applicable, peanuts.  Using spoons or cookie scoop, shape dough into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake about 12 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown just slightly (you will have to watch them to make sure they don't burn).  Let sit on sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.  

*Note:  If you are like me and love to eat raw cookie dough, this recipe is great for that!  Melt the butter completely in the microwave, and leave out the egg.  Tastes delicious without the egg risk!

Easy Holiday 7-Layer Bars

Rich and decadent--a new favorite for my hubby.

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 C butterscotch chips

1 C shredded coconut

1-1/2 C crumbled graham crackers (approx. 8 whole crackers)

1/2 C butter (I used unsalted butter)

1 C chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Place butter in 13x9 pan, and place in oven until butter is melted.  Swirl to coat bottom and sides with butter.  Spread crumbs evenly over bottom of pan.  Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and nuts over crumbs.  Pour condensed milk over nuts.  Sprinkle coconut over condensed milk.  Bake 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Let cool.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft cookies are my favorite.  I really like this recipe, but it does make a lot for two people.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 C. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 C. butter, softened

¾ C. packed brown sugar

¼ C. white sugar

1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside.

In large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Beat in instant pudding mix until blended.  Mix in eggs and vanilla extract, and slowly add flour mixture.  Mix in chocolate chips by hand. 

Drop cookies on ungreased cookie sheet by rounded teaspoon and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy warm with cold glass of milk.  Makes approx. 36 cookies.